The High Court will deliver its verdict on March 9 on the appeal filed by independent lawmaker and Awami League leader Haji Mohammad Salim challenging the trial court verdict that sentenced him to 13 years' imprisonment in a corruption case.

The HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq today set the date.

During the hearing today, Haji Salim's lawyers Abdul Baset Majumder and Sayed Ahmed Raza told the HC that their client was not involved in any corruption but the case has been filed against him in 2007 to harass him on political motive.

Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the trial court had rightly convicted and sentenced Haji Mohammad Salim to 13 years in prison after properly evaluating the evidence and documents and therefore, his appeal might be dismissed.   

The Special Judge's Court-7 of Dhaka convicted Haji Salim and sentenced him to 13 years' imprisonment in the case on April 27, 2008.

Haji Salim filed an appeal with the HC on October 25, 2009 against the trial court verdict. Following the appeal, the HC on January 2, 2011 acquitted Haji Salim of the corruption case.

The ACC then appealed against the HC verdict to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

The Appellate Division on January 12, 2015 scrapped the HC verdict and directed the HC to hold a rehearing of Haji Salim's appeal and to dispose of the appeal again.